Heartache
by Brown.eyes.and.bushy.tales
Summary: Percy hasn't talked to Annabeth since half blood hill. Kronos's battle is approaching, and the gods find it's best to intervine. As the tension grows, everbody sees that there's way more to this tale than Percabeth... ON HIATUS
1. Breakdown

Heartache

Hey! Another change of category! So I'm trying Pjato, and I hope you like it! :D I think the summary about covers it.

Disclaimer: Everyone knows who Rick is, and I'm not even the same gender, so there's no possibility of fraud there.

--

Heartache. That was the only word he could use to describe it. He couldn't stand being to far from her, but he also could not bear to be in her company, so instead, he watched the blond from afar.

All he needed at that moment was a friend, to comfort him through the agonising burden he held alone on his shoulders. And Grover was there, of course, but that just didn't satisfy his needs, and he didn't know what would. Two years ago the goddess of love had promised him that he would have stacks of indecision, but at the time, he hadn't imagined he would feel a quarter of the pain he experienced now, day and night, light and dark.

It was dinner, and the blonde one picked half-heartedly at her plate, simulating listening to a younger brother of hers about architecture; she didn't look particularly happy either. She glanced up, and saw him staring, as he mouthed a hello. That's when she cracked, with a stern and resentful glare before she stormed off. Now all eyes were on him, and he miserably turned around, trying his best to ignore the piercing glares from the rest of the Athena table. After the rest of the painfully embarrassing dinner, he went to the beach, only to be confronted with what he had pleaded to escape from: Annabeth.

He looked upwards, muttering about how things always happened to him as he joined her, taking her off guard.

"Hey," He told her sheepishly, receiving no response.

"You know, I-"

"Don't think I haven't noticed seaweed brain." She turned to him, but even that made his insides feel better, as he hadn't heard from her in a long time.

"Noticed what?"

"You gawking at me like a fish all day…No pun intended." She resisted the urge to smile, as he allowed himself to.

"I can't help it. We've barely talked since this summer. Why have you been ignoring me, Annabeth?"

"Because." She stated flatly, refusing to meet his gaze as she wiped her eyes.

"Have you been…Crying?"

"So what if I have?" She snapped angrily at him, making him loose his temper.

"What is your problem? What have I done so terrible that you ignore me and send me evil looks whenever we see each other!?" He grasped her shoulders and turned them around, only to see a shaking and crying friend. He let out a small gasp and commenced to embrace her, and she welcomingly sobbed into his shoulder. He tried many times to describe the feeling in his stomach, and failed. It was as if someone had released a flock of birds in his gut, and they flew freely within his insides.

"Its…Its okay," He tried to comfort her, while she shook her head.

"No it's not! The final battle is this year! Nobody knows what is going to happen! Maybe not even the spirit of delphi!! If I loose you, then..."She sobbed harder, her firm grip changing into a rib cracking hold on him. Maybe was the time to tell her, what he had wanted to say to her since their last encounter, but then again, she was in such a fragile state and-

'_Oh yes you will.'_ A voice not of his own told his mind. He had a good idea who it was. He inhaled a last time before realising that Annabeth had stopped crying and was murmuring about how she had been a bad friend.

"Its fine and I'm not going anywhere anytime soon." He told her, rubbing her back for reassurance.

She smiled at him gratefully and loosened him slightly.

"You know, I never did find out what you wanted to tell me before Argus called you away last year,"

"Oh...About that…" He nervously rubbed the back of his neck and avoided contact with her storm grey eyes.

"It's-"

"I didn't want to be so distant from you, like we have been lately…And," he stopped himself, closing his eyes tight and mentally cursing himself. His tongue had betrayed him again. He knew this could well be his last chance, when he watched Annabeth absently fiddle with a pebble with her hands. And he couldn't stand it any longer, as he used all his courage to blurt out: "I love you!" He instinctively covered his mouth, when he saw hers gaping wide open. She faced him with a scarlet blush, although his was more of a beet-red.

"I'm-I'm sorry…"

"Don't be. I'm sorry Percy, I've been a terrible friend, but, knowing that you have the patience to wait for our reconciliation, has opened my eyes to what I like you." She smiled as he gazed at her. _Did she mean like like? _He pondered, before she gave him a peck on the lips, also brushing the sand off of her trousers and heading for her cabin.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" She asked him. He mutely nodded in return.

After she left, long after, he cheered with joy, also heading to his cabin, unaware of all the problems there could be with everything that had just occurred.

--

There will be another chapter. Lol I'm so glad I did this! Review to receive a pack of Oreos in your e-mail!


	2. Can she be wrong?

I'm really sorry it's been so long since an update for this chapter!!! I had a bad case of the writers block. Le gasp! And I've been a bit ill this week, although I can't blame it on that, seen as it's been a few months!!! I am so very sorry, but it was done on two separate computers, so it had to be mixed and edited and fixed a lot, so I hope it makes you happy! The next chapter will be up much sooner, I promise! I'm sorry! Oh, and I kinda got the idea for the rest of this storyline from Percabeth777 so, thank you for that! :)

The POVs might be confusing, so it's:

Annabeth's POV

then normal POV

Then Annabeth's again.

Then Percy's POV

Disclaimer: I .don't .own. PJO. FULL. STOP.

---

It wasn't until I reached my cabin that it began to sink in. Did he, do that? Did Percy just tell me he loved me? Did I just kiss him? Again!?

I would have uncharacteristically squealed if I didn't share a cabin with a dozen other siblings, so instead, I settled for a finger clap, content that I had reconciled with an important friend.

Friend.

That word barked at the back of my mind, stirring my most unpleasant memories of Luke. Did he care so little for me that he gave his body to a titan? And, did I really love him? But, I love Percy...He loves me...

I screamed my hardest into the pillow that rested snugly on my grey-sheeted bed, and grinned at the last few moments of my life. _He loves me..._

It was so much relief, even more than when Lady Artemis lifted the sky from my shoulders, years of yearning and hesitancy cleared from my mind, like a dusty contraption being used again for the first time in years. All was good.

On that notion, satisfied, I turned in for the night, anticipating tomorrow morning, when I would return my feelings for Percy.

--

He opened his eyes, surveying his surroundings in a lazy state, next to him lay Annabeth, her golden curls draped in front of her face...Wait what?

He sat up, and a sense of doom consumed him. He knew exactly where he was, the constellations on the ridiculously high ceilings, the marble floor, the twelve giant thrones, the only thing missing was...

"Welcome, demigods." A strong female voice echoed across the room. At the sound, Annabeth bolted upright, and then glowed a bright red, as she stood beside Percy.

"Mum?" She tiredly asked, rubbing an eye.

She could have sworn Percy's eyes were dilated when she looked in his direction to see another man appear from the shadows.

--

"D-D-Dad!?" He gasped. I closed my eyes. I knew exactly what this was about.

"How did we get here mother?" I asked her. She told me anything is possible for a god. I guessed she gassed us with some kind of god tier-gas.

"Why?"

"Annabeth," Percy started, but was cut off by Athena.

"Because, we have things to...Discuss."

"You mean you do," Poseidon told her.

"We both do!" She hissed, glaring at the sea god.

She took an intimidating step towards Percy, but he stood his ground, for which I was grateful for.

"I see that you two have been becoming ever so close as of…Lately."

"You're point?" He said. I nudged him. Hard.

"I think you should stop right where you are. You were sworn mortal enemies at birth! And we both intend to keep it that way…" She sent another resentful glance Poseidon's way.

"But mother-"

"Yes, Annabeth?"

I gulped, having no Idea why I suddenly felt so edgy, around my own mother.

"I have a theo-a theory mother." She smiled almost sadistically at me as she approached another step toward Percy, glowering at his sea green eyes with hatred.

"Oh? And what reason would you possibly have for harbouring feelings for this intellectually-challenged child of Poseidon's?" She spat.

"Well," I began. "You're aware of, the power of _Love_ mother. Am I correct?" I felt a sudden surge of power when the words lingered in my mouth when I stood up straighter, stepping a foot forward ever so slightly. Percy looked at me as If I had just punched Athena in the nose. Which I'm sure he would like to see me do, as I knew their past encounters hadn't gone swimmingly well. (Again, no pun intended.)

"Yes, I'm aware of the influences of that, _gnat_, Aphrodite." She took a step back, seemingly reconsidering listening to what I had to say as her facial expression calmed.

"Well, if we were broken up, wouldn't that mean that we wouldn't be able to fight to the best of our abilities, due to grief stricken behaviour?"

"Elaborate further." Did this mean my mother didn't understand what I was saying? Was that possible?

"You know how I reacted, on our last quest when Percy was marooned for two weeks." I sent a quick glare in his direction. "His loss is a large distraction mother. Do you not wish you're strongest fighters to play a part in the upcoming battle? And Percy is a prophecy child. He can't afford to be distracted by the loss of me." I smiled at him tentatively. He grinned back.

Athena's eyes widened in enlightenment. In her fury towards Percy, she seemed to have overlooked the effects it could have on us. Poseidon spoke up. "My point exactly. You may go now. And know that you _do_ have _both_ of our blessings…"

Percy grinned like a Cheshire cat about that, and I wasn't far behind from that feature. Athena turned to us. Her look of hatred had been neutralised with a knowledgeable glance, as she spoke. "I no longer harbour ill wishes for the two of you. I still do not agree with what you are choosing to do, but I do also know that I cannot stop you. So I must embrace the distant future. Future will be very important for the two of you. It is the key to the next stage, Demigods. Remember that." Then the back of our hands collided, as we looked down. I beamed up at him, and clutched his hand tightly as we descended the lift, to the bottom of the empire state building.

"Hey Annabeth?"

"Yeah, Seaweed brain?"

"That was good back there..."

"…Thanks."

"Hey wise girl?"

"…Yes Percy?"

"How are we gonna get back to camp?"

"…You think the party ponies'll be in town?"

--

After Chiron's cousins kindly gave us lift to Camp half blood, Grover and Juniper greeted us by the camp boundaries.

"Chiron told us where you've been…" My eyes widened.

"How does he know?" Annabeth asked.

"Uh…Guess?" Grover told us sheepishly, gnawing at a tin can while he looked at Juniper for support.

"Who else knows…?" I nervously asked.

"Um…All the heads of each of the cabins…"

I palm slapped my face, while Annabeth choked on air. "...What!?"

"Charles and Silena wanted to know where you were, Silena was especially persistent, and eventually Chiron dispersed the information." Juniper told us. I cast my gaze to Annabeth, who was squeezing her left arm so hard I was surprised it didn't burst. I put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and gradually slid it down to her hand.

"It's no problem, just…Act natural. They don't exactly know _why_ we were there do they?" But then again, the campers aren't stupid; they could put two and two together. But Annabeth replied half-heartedly anyway,

"No, I hope"

I let go of her hand and started walking towards the bottom of half-blood hill while she trailed slowly behind me, when who else but Silena approached us. She grabbed Annabeth by the hands and came over to me.

"_Hiiiii!_ You're, like, _back!_" She smiled. It couldn't have just been me, because Annabeth seemed disturbed too; Silena had a sly, yet overly-cheerful twinkle in her eye, which was a sign of near death in a daughter of Aphrodite.

"Everybody has agreed that you should, celebrate or something!" Busted. I was about to protest when Annabeth butted in.  
"Celebrate what? They just wanted us to give them some stats. It took longer because quite a lot happened on our last quest."

"...Oh." She crumpled back into Travis Stoll who had started up the hill too. My demigod eyes located several other heads hiding badly in bushes around the camp. She whispered something severely to him as he said his small hellos and ran down the hill; it sounded something like, _"Call the party off!!" _Grover chuckled. Sensitive goat hearing?

"Well, bye Silena," Annabeth gave her a meaningful glance and elbowed me in the ribs.

"Bye, Silena." We were just about to carry on when she dove in front of us.

"Wait!!" She panted.

"What is it?" I asked her curiously.

"Chiron....Needs....To talk to you." She stood straight. "You shall be escorted there by moi! Seen as you can't be let alone together for one moment!" I wondered if she was doing this on purpose. I blushed a deep scarlet, while Annabeth snorted and ignored Silena's protests as she went to find Chiron. I followed slowly behind. When Annabeth's form finally came to a halt, and Silena was breathlessly spluttering while mumbling about how unhygienic sweat was, I noticed the centaur across the other side of the arena. We crossed over to him, and asked him what he wanted from us.

"Ah you have returned! Nothing...For now. But in a weeks time I wish you to pack your belongings from you cabins and meet me at the top of half-blood hill." His expression was dark for a moment, until he brought his cheerful grin back like a game show host. "Now what are you're activities for today?"

Annabeth and I exchanged nervous glances. Chiron was always smiling. But that intense dark glare he did must mean something bad. He looked at us.

"Back to activities!" He stomped cheerfully, as we charged out of the big house.

---

Where are they going? What does Chiron want with them? Why was Chiron so disturbed? Find out in the next chapter. Drop a review and maybe a few guesses!


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